Malaga vs Espanyol - prediction, team news, lineups

By Matt Law | 07 Oct 2026 09:49, Last updated: 07 Oct 2026 09:52

Malaga and Espanyol volition some beryllium aiming to bounce backmost from successive defeats erstwhile they resume their respective La Liga campaigns with a clash connected Friday night.

The visitors are presently 15th successful the La Liga table, picking up 7 points from 7 matches, portion Malaga are stone bottommost of the part connected 3 points.

Match preview

Malaga boast a grounds of zero wins, 3 draws and 4 defeats from their 7 league matches this season, with 3 points leaving them astatine the bottommost of the part connected 3 points.

The White and Sky Blues started September with back-to-back draws with Levante and Celta Vigo, earlier suffering losses to Villarreal and Getafe up of the planetary break.

Malaga secured promotion backmost to La Liga done the 2025-26 Segunda Division playoffs, and the aboriginal indications are that it volition beryllium a challenging play for Juan Francisco Funes' side, who volition beryllium hopeless to unafraid their archetypal triumph of the run connected Friday.

The Andalusian outfit person mislaid each of their past 5 games against Espanyol, including a 3-0 decision erstwhile the 2 teams past locked horns successful May 2021.

Malaga's past triumph implicit Espanyol was backmost successful March 2012, failing to triumph successful the past 14 matches betwixt the 2 teams, each of which person been league games.

Espanyol person won two, drawn 1 and mislaid 4 of their 7 league matches this season, with 7 points leaving them successful 15th spot successful the division.

The Catalan outfit really started their 2026-27 run with a win, beating Levante 3-0, portion their 2nd league triumph of the run came distant astatine Osasuna connected September 12.

Manolo Gonzalez's broadside entered the planetary interruption disconnected the backmost of successive losses, though, going down 2-1 to Rayo Vallecano earlier being beaten 3-1 astatine location by Elche.

The White and Blues finished 11th successful Spain's apical formation past season, but they really had the look of a imaginable Champions League outfit successful the archetypal fractional of the campaign, earlier mediocre signifier successful the 2nd fractional of the play outgo them the accidental to assertion a European spot.

Espanyol's fantabulous caller grounds against Malaga should mean that assurance is precocious up of this match, particularly arsenic they volition beryllium coming up against a squad that person lone scored 3 times successful their opening 7 league games of 2026-27.

Malaga La Liga form:

Espanyol La Liga form:

Team News

Malaga could again beryllium without the services of Fernando Calero, Julen Lobete, Diego Murillo and Aaron Ochoa for their league fixture with Espanyol connected Friday nighttime done injury.

Adam Aznou has missed Malaga's past 3 matches owed to injury, meanwhile, and the 20-year-old is besides a large uncertainty for the clash with the Catalan side.

Chupe started connected the seat against Getafe past clip out, but the attacker is expected to beryllium introduced backmost into the starting broadside for this match.

As for Espanyol, Omar El Hilali has served the suspension that ruled him retired of the past match, and the right-back is acceptable to instrumentality to the starting squad for this game.

Javi Puado and Kike Garcia stay connected the sidelines done injury, portion Jofre Carreras faces a precocious fittingness trial owed to a groin issue.

Roberto Fernandez has scored six times successful 7 league appearances this season, and the Spain planetary volition proceed successful the last 3rd of the field.

Malaga imaginable starting lineup:

Herrero; Rafita, Recio, Berrocal, Salinas; Rodriguez; Larrubia, Dotor, Lorenzo, Chupe; Jauregi

Espanyol imaginable starting lineup:

Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Nunez, Cabrera, Hinojo; Exposito, Gonzalez; Calatrava, J Hernandez, Zaragoza; R Fernandez

We say: Malaga 1-1 Espanyol

It is ever hard to foretell matches instantly aft an planetary break, but we are expecting it to beryllium tight, with the points perchance being shared successful a low-scoring draw.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.